At the start of the year, the Obama administration made a proposal to make the first two years of college tuition-free for students, a recommendation modeled after legislation put into effect by the state of Tennessee and the city of Chicago.
According to the proposal, the federal government would cover 75 percent of the costs and state governments would have to pay for the remainder. To receive the benefits of this proposal, students would have to maintain a 2.5 grade point average, attend at least half-time and graduate on time. Colleges would also be required to ensure their courses are fully transferable to local public four-year colleges and universities.
By looking at these conditions, it could help create initiative for colleges in the Florida College System that will be subject to state funding by ranking this year based on criteria such as graduation completion rates.
The White House estimates that if all 50 states participate in the proposed program, it would save $3,800 in tuition per year for students on average, benefit roughly 9 million students per year and the cost would be about $60 billion over the next 10 years.
If implemented, this proposal would apply to students attending both community and state colleges. It’s uncertain if such a proposal could get passed in the U.S. Congress or if states would participate, but tuition-free college is possible and it would benefits masses of people that otherwise couldn’t go to college due to financial burdens.
During the State of the Union address on Jan. 20 Obama said, “By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education. Forty percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. And I want to work with this Congress to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn’t derail anyone’s dreams.”
It’s certainly true that whenever it comes to demographics related to age, student populations on campus are quite diverse. Take Daytona State College, for instance. According to DSC’s Office of Institutional Research, the average age of DSC students was 27 years old in the years 2013-2014. By specific programs, the average ranged from 22 to 43 years old.
College campuses across the U.S. have students from different situations. For many, tuition is only a small part of the total cost of college. Costs can include daycare, healthcare, student debt for older students and paying rent or mortgage while switching to part time employment. These costs can significantly hinder people from going to college, as well as student performance. Colleges have a duty to not only educate disadvantaged students, but to also bridge the gaps of learning and success of disadvantaged students by implementing support programs.
For example, to ensure students in need of developmental courses have a good start and find more innovative ways of increasing success rates. That’s something DSC has been struggling with for the past several years, especially since Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Board of Education eliminated the requirement that students with trouble in these areas be required to take developmental courses. Now, they have the choice to do so or not.
But the more significant price tag is students continuing their education in a four-year program. The Institutional Research office at DSC published another number that showed 69.3 percent of Associates of the Arts degree graduates continued their education at public or private universities and state colleges in the years 2011-2012.
Obama also said, “I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today. And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn’t derail anyone’s dreams.”
The proposal is not completely comprehensive in addressing the problems of attaining a universal higher education. But it’s surely a start of conversation and a step towards making at least the first two years of college free for all eligible Americans.